In the surgical planning field, presurgical planning is available to assist a surgeon in placing an implant virtually into patient tissue, with the assistance of preoperative imaging and appropriate software. Examples of the provision and use of suitable software are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0290323, published 15 Nov. 2012 by Wael K. Barsoum et al.; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0141034, published 7 Jun. 2012 by Joseph P. Iannotti et al.; both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Regardless of the software used, presurgical planning can result in a virtual surgical plan that is then optionally embodied in a 3D printed (or other rapid-manufactured) patient-specific physical patient tissue model that allows a user to interact physically with a tangible structure that optionally includes information from a virtual surgical plan. An example of a suitable physical patient tissue model is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 0276509, published 1 Nov. 2012 by Joseph P. Iannotti et al., which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Optionally, and again regardless of the way in which the patient-specific tissue model is provided, the physical tissue model may be used to physically transfer information from the virtual surgical plan to an adjustable instrument. An example of a suitable transfer of presurgical plan information to an adjustable instrument using a physical tissue model is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,301,858, issued 5 Apr. 2016 to Wael K. Barsoum et al., which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
As another option, it is possible to transfer numerical settings from presurgical planning software directly to an adjustable surgical instrument without the intermediate step of providing a physical patient tissue model. An example of a suitable transfer of presurgical plan information to an adjustable instrument using a setting stand is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,926,627, issued 6 Jan. 2015 to Joseph P. Iannotti et al., which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
One type of adjustable/reusable surgical instrument which can be set to correspond with a virtually generated preoperative surgical plan is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,198,732, issued 1 Dec. 2015 to Joseph P. Iannotti et al. (hereafter referenced as “the '732 patent”), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The adjustable reusable surgical instrument of the '732 patent will hereafter be referenced as a “tool” or a “surgical tool”. In the '732 patent, a landmark guiding structure is provided. At least two locating feet are provided. Each locating foot is laterally spaced from, and indirectly connected to, the landmark guiding structure. A holdaway structure is connected to each locating foot. Each holdaway structure is adjustably connected to the landmark guiding structure to indirectly and adjustably attach the locating foot to the landmark guiding structure in a spaced-apart relationship therewith. A manipulation handle is connected to the landmark guiding structure. The landmark guiding structure is placed in at least one of a desired location and a desired trajectory with respect to the reference surface. Each locating foot is adjusted relative to the landmark guiding structure, via adjustment of the holdaway structure, into guiding contact with a particular portion of a reference surface. Each locating foot is maintained in the guiding contact position, the surgical tool is removed from the reference surface, and the surgical tool is placed with each locating foot in guiding contact with a particular portion of the patient tissue surface corresponding to a particular portion of the reference surface such that at least one of the desired location and desired trajectory of the landmark guiding structure at the reference surface is replicated by the landmark guiding structure at the patient tissue surface.